Decking your halls: holiday decorating ideas for the enthusiast

Ready to take your Christmas decorating to the next level? Here are some pro tips that can elevate your holiday embellishments from merely so-so to full out sublime.

Choose your palette

The pro-decorator’s cardinal rule? Choose a palette and stick to it. Make sure your ornaments, ribbons, lights, stockings, gift-wrapping and more are made up of hues from your chosen palette. Here are a few colour combinations to try:

Traditional. Tried-and-true, red, green and gold make up the classic Christmas colour scheme.

Icy. A more modern option, this palette is made up of periwinkle, teal and silver.

Jewel. A vibrant palette of green, purple, orange and red.

Metallic. A glittering and regal palette of silver and gold.

Monochrome. If simple and elegant is more your style, consider a colour scheme made up solely of whites.

Choose your theme

Next to palette, the most important decorating decision you’ll make is in regards to theme. The idea is to take an evocative word or phrase and let your imagination go to work. Here are a few examples:

Winter wonderland. Think white and lots of it. Include elements like snowflakes, tinsel and wintery animals such as reindeer and moose.